NFL Video Rulebook Defenseless Player

Rule Summary View Official Rule

Section 2 - Personal Fouls

ARTICLE 9. PLAYERS IN A DEFENSELESS POSTURE

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture. A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against an opponent, even if his body position is in motion, and irrespective of any acts by him, such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact.

1. Players in a defenseless posture are:
   1. A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass (passing posture).
   2. A receiver running a pass route when the defender approaches from the side or behind. If the receiver becomes a blocker or assumes a blocking posture, he is no longer a defenseless player.
   3. A player attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
   4. The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player. Violations of this provision will be enforced after the interception, and the intercepting team will maintain possession.
   5. A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped.
   6. A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air who has not had time to clearly become a If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
   7. A player on the ground.
   8. A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 8-i for additional restrictions against a kicker/punter).
   9. A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (also see Article 11-e for additional restrictions against a quarterback after a change of possession).
   10. A player who receives an illegal blindside block.
   11. A player who receives an illegal crackback block.
   12. The offensive player who attempts a snap during any scrimmage kick. He is no longer a defenseless player after he has had an opportunity to defend himself or moves downfield.

1. Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is listed However, these provisions do not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or block on an opponent:
   
   1. forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him;
   2. lowering the head and making forcible contact with any part of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body; or
   3. illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves one or both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 9.)

Penalty: For unnecessary roughness: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down. The player may be disqualified if the action is judged by the official(s) to be flagrant.